It seems at the French Open, any top 10 woman playing on clay who can play a match with no more than 20% more the errors than winners in the late rounds is a lock to win. So Myskina who makes very few mistakes, even if very few winners at times, makes perfect sense. Check the match stats of Serena, and even Henin-Hardenne the years they won. Myskina's last year were clearly cleaner.

I dont think Roger will win a slam this year, I picked him for Wimbledon and the U.S with my heart, not my head.

What would be unreasonable about picking Henin or Myskina to win the French, as oppose to somebody like Serena? They tend to make fewer errors in long rallies, and that is often what wins out on clay. Henin at her best is definitely the best clay courter I think.

Henin's got tendinitis in her knee. She'll need some time to recover and by the time the French Open rolls around, she will be too rusty to match shots with the hard women hitters such as Sharapova, Williams or Davenport.

As for Sharapova or Davenport being a major threat at the French Open? I would be very surprised. Sharapova took advantage of a dream draw, except for a good win over Zvonareva to reach the quarters, and her discomfort for the red stuff was exploited in spades by quality journeywoman Paola Saurez. Davenport? Her career record at the French versus other slams says it all.

What would be unreasonable about picking Henin or Myskina to win the French, as oppose to somebody like Serena? They tend to make fewer errors in long rallies, and that is often what wins out on clay. Henin at her best is definitely the best clay courter I think.

I think Henin being the best clay court player has yet to be seen. She doesn't have the best record on clay (compared to other players), she really hasn't won that many titles on clay, and really hasn't done anything to make her eminent from the rest of the pack on clay.

As for the fewer errors, that will only get you so far. Both Henin-Hardenne and Serena won the French by being aggressive, IMO. Myskina won by simply allowing her opponents to deconstruct (Venus, Capriati, Dementieva). Out of everyone in the top 10 (and almost top 20), Myskina winning again would surprise me the most. Or maybe it's that her game just never impressed me.

Yaeh but who in the right mind seriously thinks she will be back on court playing AND playing good enough to compete by the time the French rolls around?

I think by that time -- both Serena and Venus will be on fire again. Not to mention HUNGRY Davenport and young Sharapova. Throw in the other players who aren't necessarily top players but gr8 on clay like Suarez....

I dont think there's gonne be any room for Clijsters at all -- Justine perhaps to make it to the second week if she's lucky but definitely not to win.

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Think about it -- the surface that she's actually been more succesul on (hard court) at the US OPEN -- she'd had a few weeks to practice (the Olympics) and still got crushed by who? NADIA PETROVA!! A good player but not the type you'd expect to whoop the formre world no. 1.

C'mon...winning the open? Yeah right..

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Between 2001-2003 I would say Henin had the best overall record of any woman on clay, even considering her disaesterous 1st round loss in 2003 due mainly to injury. She won 4 significant clay court tournaments in 2002 and 2003(tier 1s or tier 2s which have about the same quality field), and was in the finals of another, i. I would say that is better than any of her rivals record on clay.

Arforce, if you laugh at the thought of Henin winning the French, I laugh twice as hard on Venus being a threat to win the French. Venus has become mrs. fourth round in the slams, and unlike her sister, it is unclear to me whether she can return to the very top of womens tennis at all. Her technical flaws are being exposed, and she has shown no real progress in her game in years, with others improving has caught up to her. Even if she does return to the top group it certainly wont be on clay. Henin in my opinion is a far superior clay courter to Venus, there only two matches on clay where when Venus was at the very top and Henin was a second pack contender. Henin won one 6-4, 6-1 and choked away a 6-1, 4-0 lead in the other. Those chokes dont occur anymore when she is healthy and fit. If Henin did come back and lose to Venus on clay, I would wonder if she should have come back at all.

Arforce, I would also consider Clijsters as good or better a clay courter than Venus, and much better than Davenport or Sharapova. Honestly what have Davenport and Sharapova done to prove themselves on the surface? Clijsters has been to the finals of the French twice. Davenport to one semi in a long career, Sharapova one quarter where she was humiliated by a solid journeywomen. She also won her last meeting on clay with Venus in 2002, again before Clijsters rose to 2 in the world, and back when Venus was 1 or 2 regularly in the world.

No room for Henin and Clijsters? If at their best again, Henin imparticular, and even Clijsters, will have no problem booting Davenport, Sharapova, and probably Venus out of the room on clay.

Henin admitted she wasnt ready to return by the U.S open, her virus was not yet out of her system. That is why she lost to Petrova so badly. Her virus is gone now, it is only her knee injury. I predict she will be fine.